1. What is a 4x4 Punnett Square?

A 4x4 Punnett square is used for trihybrid crosses (three gene traits). It predicts the genotype and phenotype combinations in offspring from two parents with known genotypes for three traits.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator generates all possible gamete combinations from each parent's genotype and combines them in a Punnett square:

Where:

• Each parent produces 8 possible gametes (2^3)
• 8x8 gamete combinations result in 64 possible offspring genotypes
• With complete dominance, this produces 27 possible phenotype combinations

3. Importance of Punnett Squares

Details: Punnett squares are fundamental tools in genetics for predicting inheritance patterns, calculating probabilities of specific traits, and understanding Mendelian inheritance.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter genotypes for both parents using standard notation (e.g., AaBbCc). The calculator assumes independent assortment of the three genes.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why 81 possible outcomes?
A: For three heterozygous genes (AaBbCc × AaBbCc), there are 3^4 = 81 possible genotypic combinations.

Q2: What's the difference between 4x4 and 8x8 Punnett squares?
A: A 4x4 square is for dihybrid crosses (2 traits), while 8x8 would be for trihybrid (3 traits), though often simplified.

Q3: How accurate are these predictions?
A: They assume Mendelian inheritance, independent assortment, and no gene linkage - real-world results may vary.

Q4: Can I use this for more than three traits?
A: This calculator is specifically designed for trihybrid crosses (3 traits).

Q5: What about incomplete dominance or codominance?
A: The calculator assumes complete dominance. For other inheritance patterns, results would need interpretation.